ThumbprintCity

ThumbprintCity is for anyone with a mobile phone to share local knowledge by text message.

It can be a diary about everyday life in a neighbourhood, written by the people who live there.

Or their ideas about how to make things better.

It can be reviews from the audience at events.

Or just a way to pass the time while waiting for a bus.

Everyone has local knowledge to share, and ThumbprintCity works on all mobile phones, with no need for a computer or registration, so people can take part straight away, wherever they are, just by sending a text message.

ThumbprintCity has been created by Thumbprint C.I.C. a cooperative community interest company that develops new ways to use the internet and mobile phones for civic engagement and public participation.

To read, just text a place name, all one word, for example Cornerhouse or Highstreet to the ThumbprintCity number for your city.

You'll be sent back the most recent writing at that place.

To write, just start a text with the place name, all one word, for example Cornerhouse or Highstreet then a space then your thoughts, no more than 1 text long, and send it to the ThumbprintCity number for your city.

ThumbprintCity has no relationship of any kind with any mobile phone network.

It only costs the same as sending a normal text to a friend's phone.

The message you get back from ThumbprintCity is completely free.

The ThumbprintCity number is not a premium rate number.

ThumbprintCity has no relationship of any kind with any mobile phone network.

You will not be signed up for anything at all if you only use ThumbprintCity through your mobile.

Registration is optional, you do not have to sign up to anything at all if you only use ThumbprintCity through your mobile phone.

No. You will only get a message back if you send a message in first.

After that it stops forever unless you send in another message.

But of course you'll enjoy ThumbprintCity so much you'll want to take part regularly.

Your phone number is never made public. Ever.

ThumbprintCity will not pass on your mobile number to anyone else.

Being the place owner means you took responsibility for creating that place on ThumbprintCity and so you have the right to look after it, edit details, change the question for visitors and so on.

It's a bit like being the host.

The question that goes with your place is a way for other people who care about your place to be part of it, to add a trace of themselves and make a story that you have created together.

You can change the question to anything you want.

It can be factual, like "What did you think of last night's event?"

Or more expressive, a question like "Where were you happiest to arrive and why?", that lets people use their experiences and imagination to contribute something of value from them to the place you build together.

You are the host. Look for open, welcoming ways for people to take part.

But please remember that ownership of a public place is something you hold in trust.

If ownership or the way you act doesn't seem fair on other people who have a genuine interest in that place, we reserve the right to transfer ownership.

Place names let you follow your story round your city, they let readers find what you've written and they let you find what other people have written.

If you only use ThumbprintCity from your mobile, you don't ever have to register.

If you want to see the story of all your messages though, you have to register, so we know they really are yours.

And using registration on the web site that is linked to a mobile phone means that ThumbprintCity is always free of spam and abusive messages.

From your mobile just send a text message starting with the name of the place then a space, then your first thoughts, to the ThumbprintCity number for your city.

From the website, just click "create a place".

ThumbprintCity is about creativity and public free speech.

Everything you write on ThumbprintCity is public.

But you can be anonymous on ThumbprintCity if you only write using your mobile and you are welcome to be creative, critical or controversial.

But remember:

• -you are solely responsible for what you write.
• -do not post offensive material.
• -we will remove any inappropriate material without notification.
• -please exercise common sense in what you write.
• -do not post personal or contact details ever.

Please report any posts you consider to be inappropriate or offensive by emailing andrew [@] blinkmedia [dot] org

You do, but if you have sent something to ThumbprintCity, that means you accept that it will be public, and we can publicly quote the words you've written in other contexts if we want.

No.

Everything you write on ThumbprintCity is public.

You can be anonymous on ThumbprintCity if you only write using your mobile and you are welcome to be creative, critical or controversial.

But remember:

• -you are solely responsible for what you write.
• -do not post offensive material.
• -we will remove any inappropriate material without notification.
• -please exercise common sense in what you write.
• -do not post personal or contact details ever.

Yes. Please exercise common sense in what you write.

Everything you write on ThumbprintCity is public.

You can be anonymous on ThumbprintCity if you only write using your mobile and you are welcome to be creative, critical or controversial.

But remember:

• -you are solely responsible for what you write.
• -do not post offensive material.
• -we will remove any inappropriate material without notification.
• -please exercise common sense in what you write.
• -do not post personal or contact details ever.

If you are under 16 years old you must consult a parent or guardian before using ThumbprintCity.

Yes.

Wherever your city is in the world.

If you are an artist, writer, creative technologist, Community and Voluntary Sector organisation, local government officer, small business or entrepreneur and you'd like to set up ThumbprintCity for your city, email and let us know, we are always happy to talk.

The photographs we use on the city pages are by Lisa Roberts and Rob ?

If you like their work please contact us and we'll put you in touch.

The question "Tell a story about yourself in one sentence." was suggested by the excellent One Sentence project: www.onesentence.org

The question about methods of escape was inspired by artist Dee Hibbert-Jones' project for Fred 2008 secretlife.org.uk/place/escape/

If you would like to contact us about ThumbprintCity, please email andrew [@] blinkmedia [dot] org

We always welcome your feedback and suggestions and will try to reply to every email.

Our address is:

Andrew Wilson
ThumbprintCity
5th Floor
Bates Mill
Milford Street,
Huddersfield,
West Yorkshire
HD1 3DX
England